4 Top Tips For Taking Vacation Rental Photographs – Travelers Can’t Resist

I’d like to introduce you to Monique. What she does with photos is nothing short of magical that’s why we call her – The Photo-Magician.

Presenting poor photographs is a big mistake too many of us are making. Owners and managers often overlook poor photography for being a core reason they’re not getting more inquiries for their property.

But finding a photographer and taking top-notch photos can come with some challenges that’s why Monique has joined the Villa Marketers team.

She’s been helping our managers and owners improve their presentations with her imagery wizardry. Her work inspires travelers to book through compelling images that tell better stories.

Today she’s sharing some of her best tips to help you capture compelling vacation rental photographs. She’s also going to help you transform your current less-than-flattering photos into successful selling tools that create more bookings. Read on to reveal Monique’s tips and tricks.

 

You only have about 6 seconds!—to grab the attention of potential renters before they move on to the next property…possibly never to return.

Now that’s pressure!

 Did You Know?

• High quality images are the most persuasive aspect of any website for 80% of individuals surveyed when deciding for or against a product or service (“Pew Internet & American Life” Study).

Your text may be masterfully worded, but they’ll never even read it unless your photo has grabbed their attention first.

How can you grab a traveler’s attention? Increase the chance of catching their eye by digitally enhancing your lifeless photographs.

For instance, I can resurrect the color in a washed-out photo of your cozy little beach cottage rental or transform an urban rental view from a muted blur to a magnificent cityscape.

Remember, you only have 6 seconds to grab their interest. Once you’ve accomplished that, the addition of a proper property description is all you’ll need to finalize the deal. It’s just that simple.

I always encourage my clients to view images as if they were the entire sell sheet.

Take a good look at your picture and ask yourself: “Is it telling the story I want to tell?”

Whether you’re attempting to depict a golfer’s desert paradise or an outdoors-man’s rustic hideaway, you’ll never get the most out of your rental unless your photographs are best sellers.

Homes with great stories get rented and stay rented.

The best option is always to hire a professional photographer. They can remove all the guesswork out of what it takes to produce a perfect image.

Hiring a professional photographer is well worth the investment. However hiring a professional photographer may not be so simple, especially for those owners with properties in remote areas or for those properties that are not “picture ready” – maybe because it’s winter and the trees around the home are barren.

So what can you do with your current vacation rental photographs to make them better?

Now that I’ve joined Villa Marketers your vacation rental marketing can benefit from my photography and digital enhancement expertise.

We can help even an amateur photographer achieve professional results. Before I show you real examples of how I transform bad photos into  beautiful ones I’d like to share my 4 rules of vacation rental photography with you.

4 PHOTOGRAPHY RULES FOR ACHIEVING THE BEST IMAGES

You should know the best practices for photography so you can skillfully capture area attractions and the local scenery while visiting your vacation home.

Today’s tips will help you experiment with capturing character shots, updates you’ll make to your property along the way and various angles often missed by typical real estate photographers.

1. Lights! Lighting can be one of the most important aspects of a photo shoot. Cloudy or overcast days are the best for taking exterior shots.

The clouds will act as a great filter and colors just pop. Bright sunny days tend to bleach out colors and produce “white-out” areas.

If your only option is to shoot on a sunny day, then near the end of the day or right around dusk would be the best time to take that shot. This will give you great indirect lighting and a beautiful photograph.

For interior spaces, natural lighting is still your best friend. Try to open all windows and let as much sunlight in as possible. If lighting is low, instead of turning on lights, open your aperture and let the magic happen.

 

One very important thing to remember is to never shoot against a window.

The light will become the focal point and rob your image of colors.

This photo is an example of how light becomes a focal point and washes out your photos.

If you need to shoot your property’s amazing view, remember to use the same rule of thumb for exteriors that we outlined above.

If you think of sunlight as a complement to your image and not the main focus, this will help you make good decisions on your shots.

 

 

2. Camera! I love my iPhone. Who doesn’t? But they’re not good for photographing properties. A good camera—it doesn’t need to be great—is a necessity.

 

You’ll need all the special features, such as aperture adjustment, that a smartphone cannot perform.

Make sure that you also use a tripod to stabilize and level your pictures.

Just remember NOT to use the flash.

Again, natural lighting and minimal interior lights will do.

 

 

3. Declutter! Bright. Light. Airy. This should be your mantra

. We have already discussed the importance of bright and light, but airy is of equal importance.

 

A clean and obstacle-free room is what people desire on vacation, so first declutter.

Put away any unnecessary knick-knacks, personal items, or appliances.

You might even consider moving furniture around so that the areas appear more open and inviting.

Make sure all the beds are neatly made and pillows fluffed.

Nice clean rooms will highlight the best assets and not take away from the focal points.

 

 

4. Edit! After all the time you’ve spent, the last thing you want is for your images to be flat.

Make sure you use an editing software such as Photoshop to crop, enhance, and get an outstanding picture.

In the end, if you follow all these guidelines, you will get a great picture.

And if this all seems a bit over-complicated or just too much to do, remember, I can always take your images and maximize your advertising potential through my digital enhancement techniques.

Pesky telephone poles? A neighbor’s unsightly car? I can make them disappear in a flick of my wrist! Cloudy skies? No problem. I’ll just make them blue! Whatever you want to see, I can make magic happen with digital editing and enhancement.

Check out some of our samples of properties that have been digitally enhanced.

 

If you feel as though you might require our image services, just order your photo package below and let’s get started on making your rental the hottest property on the market!

Get Your Photographs Enhanced By Monique Today

To have your vacation rental photographs enhanced by Monique place your order using the link below and she’ll get started on making your photos a guest magnet.

Click The Link Below 

Make ANY Vacation Rental Photographs Way Better!